Game apparatus.



No. 680.893. Patented Aug. 20, I901. M. A. STELZER. GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed Juno 9, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Jnveniar Ill! m. A. STELZER; GAME APPARATUS.

(Application flied June 2, 190G.)

Patented Aug. 20, I901.

' 2 Sheets8heet '2,

(No Model.)

, inuenim? @w/ My lhv rhn stares PATENT @rmcn.

MAX ARTHUR STELZER, OF NAUSSLITZ, GERMANY.

GAME APPARATUE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,893, dated August20, 1901..

Application filed June 2, 1900.

To all whom it meaty concern:

Be it known that 1, MAX ARTHUR STELZER, a subject of the King of Saxony,and a resident of Nausslitz, near Dresden, in the Kingdom of Saxony,German Empire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in GameApparatus, of which the following is a specificat-ion.

This invention relates generally to mechanical toys or automatic gameapparatus in which are movable figures or objects, balls orrunningbodies foractuatingsaidfigures or objects, a detent for holdingsaid balls or bodies inoperative, and means for withdrawing saiddetent-a pull rod, for eXamplewhich means on being operated by a personfrom the exterior of the apparatus sets free one of said balls orrunning bodies, which, after producing the operation of said movablefigures or objects, may be finally delivered to the operator. This ballor running body may consist of a sweetmeat, candy, or any edible orother desirable substance. The means for withdrawing the detent abovereferred to may be locked and unlocked by a coin-controlled device.

As a subject for the illustration of the invention I have selected ascenic stage, on which is played a game of skittles, the playing-ballsof which are delivered into an open receptacle outside of the closedcasing, which contains both the game apparatus and coincontrolleddevices for liberating the playingballs from the detent.

Figure 1 is a front View of the apparatus representing the upper part ofthe stage broken away to expose parts of the mechanism of the gameapparatus which are ordinarily incased and concealed from view; Fig. 2,a transverse vertical section on the line A 13 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, atransverse vertical section on the line 0 D of Fig. 1.

The coin freeing and operating device, which is shown in Fig. 3,comprises an aperture 1 in the casing for the insertion of a coin, acoin-chute 2, and a pivoted lever arranged below the said chute, uponone part 3 of which the coin strikes, whereby the lever is turned, so asto raise a nose or catch 4 out of engagement with an operating device,such as a rod 5, whereby the latter is set free, so that it can beactuated by an operator from Serial No. 18,840. iNo model.)

the outside of the apparatus. This rod has a handle 6 projecting fromthe casing, and when it is pulled it moves a bent lever 7 ,which in turnpulls a rod 8, with the result that the lever 9 raises a catch or detent10, whereby the foremost ball 11 of a large number of such balls,situated in suitably-arranged grooves 18 on the top of the stage, isreleased. \Vhen the foremost ball 11 is thus released by the raising ofthe front part of the detent 10, it rolls away, while the next ball isarrested by the depression of the rear part of the detent 10, so thatonly one ball will roll away at a time. For the purpose of exhibiting agame of skittles a skittle-alley or skittle-track is shown on the stage,and the hall which has been released in the manner above stated rollsdown along an inclined channel or track 13, formed by two wires, towarda movablyjointed doll or figure 14;, which is caused by this movement ofthe ball to make, apparently, a throwing motion similar to that of askittle-player. The ball drops from this figure and moves onto a track15 on the bottom of the stage, along which it travels toward theskittles. Each skittle 16 is pivoted and provided below the stage with aweight, so that after it has been struck and overturned by the ball itwill of itself return to its normal upright position. After passingthrough the skittles the ball falls or rolls into a closed compartmentof the apparatus or into an open basin 17, whence it can be taken out bythe operator.

In addition to the movable or working figure or figures non-workingfigures or dolls may be arranged on the stage for purposes ofdecoration.

By the term balls as hereinbefore and hereinafter used I intend toinclude any rolling or running bodies which may work in like manner tooperate movable figures or bodies.

I claim.

In an automatic game apparatus, the combination with a casing, of anupper inclined trough for containing balls, a detent at the foot of saidtrough, a ball-track below said trough inclined in an opposite directionthereto, a movably-jointed doll arranged at the foot of said track to beactuated by balls rolling therefrom, a second inclined ball-track belowthe first-mentioned track and below ICO said doll, movable figuresarranged in said I In testimony that I claim the foregoing as to secondinclined track, said inclined trough, my invention I have signed myname, in presinclined tracks, figures and detent being all ence of twoWitnesses, this 10th day of May, contained Within said casing, means forop- 1900.

crating said detent from outside the casing, and a ball-receptacleoutside of the casing l MAX ARTHUR STELZER.

communicating with the second inclined track Witnesses: at the footthereof through an opening in the HERNANDO DE SOTO, casing,substantially as herein described. I VVILHELM WOEsENHi'ITTER.

